SLOVENIA
Left: Lake Bled and its island church, with Mount Stol in the background
5 miles A U S TRI A
Mount Golici
KOČA NA GOLICI
Jul i a n A lp s
k
Mount Triglav
A U S TR I A s
ITALY SLOVENIA CROATIA LJUBLJIANA
Koroška Bela
Mount Stol
KOČA NA STOLU ROBLEKOV DOM
PREŠERNOVA
S L O VENI A Lake Bled
LJUBLJANA
PLANINSKI DOM NA ZELENICI
Mount Begunjščica
Tržič
GETTING THERE & AROUND British Airways and EasyJet fly direct to Ljubljana from London airports.
ba.com
easyjet.com Average flight time: 2h10m. Flixbus offers wifi-equipped, eco- friendly coach connections between major cities in Slovenia, and the country also has a cheap, efficient bus network that links all the major towns and cities.
flixbus.com
ap-ljubljana.si
spectacular dawn, it transpires, he hauled himself out of bed before 3am and hiked up from the valley floor. Shortly, he’ll retrace his steps, he tells us, before heading into the office. I think you call that work-life balance. The 10-mile stretch that follows proves the
best of the hike. A light breeze takes the edge off the 27C temperature; the steep undulations of the previous days level off and we’re left with just a triumphal ridge path through pastures grazed by alpine sheep and thick-haired horses that regard us with commendable indifference. Below us to one side, the entirety of Slovenia seems laid out for inspection. To the other, the southern lowlands of Austria, through which the Drava river meanders eastward to converge with the Danube. A smattering of hikers begins to materialise,
then a chap labouring under the weight of a mountain bike clasped to his shoulder. He gives us a sheepish smile. “You’re not actually allowed to bike on these trails,” Boštjan whispers, when the man is out of earshot — although we both agree that his efforts probably deserve at least one good downhill run. Our last mountain night is spent at Koča
na Golici, a hut that sits in such splendid detachment on a spur beneath Golica, a 6,017ft peak, that we watch it draw nearer over the course of at least six miles. It’s certainly no anticlimax to reach it. Hut manager Janez Zore — long blonde hair, wispy beard, capable manner — is playing Slovenian rock music and cooking up aromatic dishes of zelje s klobaso in ocvirki, a sausage and cabbage concoction enlivened with chunks of crispy pork fat.
102
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL We’re too late for the scented white
narcissus flowers that carpet the steep slopes above the cabin; Janez shows us pictures of the hail storm that had laid waste to one of Slovenia’s most spectacular natural sights the week before. But not for the fieriest sunset of the trip, which draws us out on to the slender wooden balcony. We stand in silent admiration watching the sky’s purples and burnt oranges coalesce around the distinctive three-pronged silhouette of Mount Triglav, Slovenia’s flag- decorating national symbol. The final day brings a significant drop
in both elevation and mood. Ribno Alpine Resort — which we reach via a wooded descent accompanied by a snowmelt-fed waterfall, and a taxi transfer from the peak-rimmed town of Koroška Bela — is the perfect spot for post-hike recovery. There’s a natural pool; glamping treehouses with 40C hot tubs bubbling away on their balconies; and soothing, wood-framed suites. But leaving the resort and strolling around nearby Lake Bled is an oddly depressing affair. While the lake itself is still a marvel — half a square mile of satin-smooth emerald, ruffled only by the flat-bottomed pletna row boats that have plied the waters for at least 400 years — I quickly tire of the crowds. I find myself casting wistful glances at
the horizon and the immense, inscrutable contours of Mount Stol and its attendant peaks. Squinting through the mid-morning haze, I fancy I can make out Simon Koščak, sitting on his sunlit terrace outside Roblekov Dom, a coffee in one hand and a bemused smile playing across those genial features.
WHEN TO GO April to September is the best time for hiking, with wildflowers in May and higher elevations offering relief from temperatures that in low-lying areas can exceed 30C in peak summer. Note that between October and May many huts are open at weekends only.
WHERE TO STAY Mountain hut prices vary depending on elevation, facilities and whether you stay in a private room or dormitory, but are typically around €50 (£42) per person per night, half-board.
en.pzs.si Glamping Mountain Fairy Tale, Tržič. Two-person cabins with hot-tub from €117 (£100), B&B.
mountainfairytale.com Ribno Alpine Resort, Lake Bled. Doubles from €118 (£101), B&B.
hotel-ribno.si
MORE INFO
slovenia.info
slovenia-outdoor.com Rough Guide to Slovenia. £16.99
HOW TO DO IT OutventureX offers a five-night, hut-to-hut, self-guided hiking tour from £555 per person (minimum two people), with airport transfers, map, GPX files of the route and half-board accommodation in mountain huts. Excludes flights.
outventure-x.com
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ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER
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